Nargyles and Neville
by futuremrsbates99
Summary: My first HP fic, I'm a total Neville/Luna shipper3 Also includes an extension on the DH epilogue. Thanks to @LozzaaIsAwesome on twitter for the idea, ly! Reviews&Favourites appreciated!


If ever there was a time to do this, it was now. We'd just survived the greatest battle Hogwarts had ever seen together, and she needed someone now. I walked over to where she was sat in the great hall, looking down, seemingly rather upset - who wouldn't be after all that had just happened - with scratches on her face and bruising starting to show.

"Luna? Is it alright if I sit with you for a while?" She looked up toward me as she heard my voice and nodded, I sat down right beside her, perhaps a little too close for comfort but right now I didn't care. "There's something I need to tell you, I've wanted to for a long time but I never quite had the guts." I swallowed hard, waiting for her to say something but she just looked up at me with her eyebrow raised curiously.

"Luna, I'm...I'm in love with you." The words were finally out, now all I had to do was face the verdict, how would someone react to being told that I - me, of all people - had fallen in love with them! Her mouth fell open, her eyes widened and yet she didn't seem shocked in the normal way, she looked kind of relieved, if such a thing was possible. I furrowed my brow confusedly, what was she thinking, _if only I'd taken legilimancy lessons_, I thought.

"Neville?" She said my name with such an child-like innocence, her irish lilt making it all the more sweetly-toned. "Do you really mean that? Because, well if you do...me too." Now it was my turn to be relieved, I'd been hoping that she would have rejected me kindly or maybe even given me a chance, I hadn't expected her to declare a love for me!

"Sorry, what?!" I was speaking my mind accidentally but the words just kept falling out clumsily. "You love Harry though! I mean, almost every girl in our school does!"

"Neville Longbottom, have the nargyles been in your head? Because I don't know where in Merlin's name you got that idea from!" She was amazing when she was like this, she could get so angry but she never had to raise her voice very much, a lot like Professor Snape could - not that I'd compare Luna to the dungeon bat.

"Sorry..." I muttered this quietly, hoping she might not hear but of course she did, Luna heard everything. Looking up at her, her periwinkle sweater and her dark denim jeans - neither in the best state they could be - up to her face with her elfin-like features and her messy blonde braid. How could someone so beautiful, so spritely, could have fallen for daft old me?

About to say something - though I hadn't yet determined what - my mouth was interrupted by her lips covering my own. _Well, not quite that innocent._ I thought to myself as I lavished in her affections. The kiss was restrained, it felt passionate in a way that only a first kiss could. It was chaste and innocent, like two young children who did it out of curiosity, yet perfect and unimpeachable.

"I don't think Harry Potter's that impressive." She stated as an impish grin spread across her face, how could someone so strong-willed and experienced in life seem so naïve and pure. "Oh Neville."_ Crying,_ I thought, _that's new territory. _I shuffled closer awkwardly and just as I was about to put a comforting arm around her shoulder, she buried her head in my chest while she weeped, I held her protectively and the rest was just instinct. She was sobbing uncontrollably and I felt useless but I kept a hold of her nevertheless, I was in love with her and right now, she needed me.

"Shh, everything's going to be fine in the end, isn't it, ey?" Whispering words of reassurance in to her ears, we sat for a few minutes until her breathing steadied, she crying quietened and her head rose from where it had been resting - not a lot, just enough that she could see my face - and looked at me with her gorgeous blue eyes. Her father's eyes most would say, that was only because there hadn't been a Lovegood for generations without blue eyes, but none of them were quite like Luna's, they were even more blue than her father's.

"I'm sorry Neville. I've got you all wet with my tears, I didn't mean to do that, honest -" Knowing she was about to launch in to full fledged apology mode I interrupted her with:

"It's fine, really, you needed that and I'm just pleased I was there when it happened." I'd never been any good at comforting people, not even my Gran, and I was pleased that I had appeared to be doing a better job that I would've wagered.

"I just can't believe so many people are dead! I mean Fred, and Remus and Tonks. How are we ever supposed to recover from all of this?" _I don't know if we ever will, _that's what I was thinking but I ought to say something a little less pessimistic.

"By sticking together I suppose, Hogwarts need to be run properly again if we're all supposed to accept what happened here." There might have been some truth in that, we were never going to be able to grieve the people we lost today if school went back to being a prison run by death-eaters. " We can do this, as long as we stay together Luna."

*Luna POV*19 Years Later

Walking through the halls of Hogwarts for what felt like the millionth time, I finally got to the Herbology classroom, in which my husband was teaching a third-year class. _It's only going to be a couple of minutes until the class ended so I may as well wait._ I thought, sitting down on the wooden bench that sat just beside the door.

20 years ago, it would have been me there, in 7th year, living in a nightmare world with Snape for a jailer. Never did I think that 20 years on I'd still be here, working alongside all of my old teachers, never did I imagine that I would be drinking butterbeer with McGonagall most evenings alongside Neville - my dear husband, professor of herbology.

In a couple of months time, our two twins would begin their time at Hogwarts, both would excel and I would get to see them all the time. I don't think there's anything better than my life right now, my husband working alongside me with my two children about to start school, it was just too perfect. Anyone who went to school with me said I would end up teaching COMC somewhere, and they were right, I suppose even I_ hoped _it would happen.

A long line of students started to walk out of the door next to me and I rose from where I was sat to walk in, Neville was still clearing up the demonstration. He turned around to look at me, probably expecting it to be a student wanting something else but he smiled when he saw who I was.

"Hello dear, what can I do for you today?" His smile broadened as did mine, I was so lucky to have chosen such a perfect man for myself.

"I was wondering if you had a little bit of gillyweed I could steal? Xeno -" -my pet Hippogriff, named after my father -" - has been a bit ill, I'll find something else for it if not but it's the fastest way to deal with sickness." I knew he would get me some, even if it got him in to trouble with Slughorn, that man would do anything for me and I loved him for it.

"Of course, I've got quite a bit left over anyway from the last time I needed some, at least I won't have to go after Horace again, that could be a little bit disastrous!" I giggled at this remark, it made me remember the last time, I seem to recall a lot of smashed vials and quite a mess in the potions laboratory. "How's Iggy been, feeling any better?" Iggy is our youngest son, aged 8, and had been ill with some muggle illness, he seemed fine though.

"Yes, it seems that way, I still don't understand how the muggles haven't figured out the antidotes to all their sicknesses yet!" I truly did get annoyed by muggles, some witches and wizards liked them, but most just tolerated them yet I couldn't stand them!

"Now now Luna, let's not get you all riled up for a rampage! Come here, I haven't seen you all day." I walked towards him and hugged him briefly before leaning back to give him a quick peck on the lips, it was one of my favourite ways to tease him, act like he was going to get more than he got. "Cheeky mare!"

"You love me really." I said mockingly, smirking at him joyously.

"You're right, I do really love you."


End file.
